Priority Club changing to IHG Rewards Club

I’ve always felt the most love from Priority Club as just a basic member with meal coupons, snacks at check in (which require an elite level in most other programs) and for a while I was staying at IHG properties several times a year. Now I mainly only stay at them on vacation to places without a Hilton or Marriott property.

Priority Club® Rewards, the loyalty program for IHG, InterContinental® Hotels Group, and its Family of Brands, is changing its name to IHG® Rewards Club. You’ll still receive the same great benefits you have today, plus new ones like free Internet for members globally in 2014, starting with Elite members in July 2013.

You won’t have to wait long to get the exciting new benefits that come with our new name. To start, we’re offering free Internet globally to Gold Elite and Platinum Elite members in July this year. During 2014, all members will receive this great benefit. As a member you will be able to access the Internet for free at all of our hotels, whether you’re staying with us or simply stopping by for a coffee.

I wonder how restricted that was before. It is a frequent event that my coworkers and I will be traveling from one city to another and need to take a conference call so we’ll stop at the closest Courtyard or Hampton and use the internet there. We have never tried it at an IHG property and I never take the coffee at hotels where I’m not a guest. The Hamptons and Hilton Garden Inns have never balked at providing the internet access code for us. If IHG did before shame on them, but at least they are stepping in the right direction.

It’s #3 on my list of programs and I dropped back to basic with them. I’ve mostly stayed at properties with free breakfast, Staybridge Suites and Holiday Inn Express so the free breakfast perk isn’t one I had needed. They just come in handy in places where the Hilton or Marriott property is ridiculously expensive, booked, or too far to be worth it.